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    README: Installation and Boot Guide

    Before posting a question in the forum regarding Install and Boot errors, please make sure you do the following:

    1) Make sure you describe the problem in full length detail, including
    i) your computer specs,
    ii) the exact error message you receive (if any) and what you did to receive the error, what you are trying to do to alleviate it, what you think the error means, etc., and
    iii) if the error still persists after a complete re-install of the Kubuntu system. Doing this step makes it easier and faster for us to help you.
    Dual Booters READ:
    Only do step iii if you know how to do it! You may risk rendering your XP installation useless!
    If you are dual booting, and want to do step iii, you have to wipe the partition Kubuntu is on, and reboot with the Windows XP CD in the disk drive, and go to the recovery console. Type map, and fixmbr on the drive which WINDOWS is installed on. This should allow you to fix boot error 22, and proceed to Windows, where you can set up your Kubuntu partitions again.

    2) Make sure your hash is right! If the hash is wrong, it could mean one of the files is corrupted, and messin up your install. To check hash, first, download fsum, then extract fsum.exe to your WINDOWS directory. Now open the command prompt, and type cd followed by the path where you downloaded the Kubuntu ISO. eg:
    Code:
    cd C:\Documents and Settings\Nirvana\My Documents\
    Now run fsum on the kubuntu file. You must put -md5 because the Kubuntu ISO has MD5SUMs on the download page. eg:
    Code:
    fsum -md5 kubuntu-*.iso
    Now go to the Kubuntu.org download page, and select your region. Click your region, and scroll down to the directory listing, click the file MD5SUMS, and make sure the your file is the exact same as the bunch of numbers in the MD5SUMS file. A good way to do this and copy one and put it in a notepad document, and copy the other, press enter (for a new line) in the notepad document, and copy the other. That makes it easier to spot differences.

    3. Burn at a slow speed! Especially on older hardware. When you using your burning program to burn the ISO as a disk image (because your weren't just going to copy it to a CD were you?) select a slow write speed (the slowest you can, if possible). This not only ensures your disk gets a better burn, but it may also save you a dollar in the long run, becuse you may not have to burn it again.

    When you have completed all these steps, let the others know buy prefixing or suffixing your post with a [c] (for [checked!]), putting a [c] in the first line of your post, or telling us in your post that you read the readme.

    If you want to add something, click the button on your left, or click that button.
    <br /><br />*temp. hiatus from forums due to comp + net broken* :&#039;(

    #2
    Re: README: Installation and Boot Guide

    Hi Nirvana,

    I just registered and saw Mr. Linux' post, so I made a reply to try and help. He's trying to dual-boot-XP with 2 hdd's and in my struggles I kept on reading and trying to implement many howtos on the subject. However, I really didn't need to use any of them; as per my reply. I've done many re-installations and my method always works. Perhaps it would be useful as a sticky for other newbies?

    Newbies know they're newbies, and often can't afford to lose their windows while they're still newbies, so need to dual-boot. The instructions aimed at newbies, however, never worked for me, back when I had only the one hdd, or two.

    Perhaps it might be useful as a sticky? Particularly if it works for Mr. Linux...

    Comment


      #3
      Re: README: Installation and Boot Guide

      Hi. I just read ur posting on dual booting for beginners.

      I need help on the follwing:

      Installing Kubuntu without the grub file eating hal.dll from windows xp.

      reinstalling hal.dll for xp in windows\system32 folder using recovery mode or through Kubuntu.

      reinstalling grub after doing a repair install on xp becuase i could not fix hal.dll after using bootcfg /rebuild.


      Here is my system:

      80Gb ide
      Windows server 03 on partition 1 (10Gb)
      Windows xp pro on partition 2 (10Gb)
      Kubuntu on partition 3 (10Gb)

      p4 2.4Ghz - 256ram - asus mboard.

      History:

      Had Kubuntu on whole 80 Gb hd with fedora on second 3gb hd working perfectly.

      wiped 80Gb partition to install windows.

      installed windows server 03 on partition 1 10Gb NTFS
      installed xp pro on partition 2 10 Gb NTFS

      checked both and they worked perfectly but did not give access to 3gb hd with fedora to use or boot from.

      decided to reinstall kubuntu on new 3rd 10Gb partition.

      grub file made menu and choices to all os's could be made including fedora on 2nd hd - you ripper!

      Kubuntu and fedora booted perfectly.

      server would not boot - gave blank black screen and stalled.

      xp asked for hal.dll (hardware abstraction layer) to be reinstalled becuase it had been deleted or corrupted. and would not boot.

      I repair installed windows xp and server. They both worked perfectly but it took 2 hrs and now kubuntu or fedora can not be accessed from the boot menu.

      I went to edit the boot.ini file becuase there were now two xp choices as well as server on the menu. Deleted 2nd xp choice and everything worked perfectly with two choices (xp and server) on main boot menu.

      Went back to boot.ini file and noticed that the partitions had been changed from hd0,1 (server) and hd0,1 (xp) to hdo,1 (server) and hd0,3 (xp).

      This worried me becuase I had installed kubuntu on the 3rd partition (e.g. hd0,3) But sever and xp booted fine.

      This is where it can seem complicated:

      I then decided to change the boot.ini file to boot xp from hd0,2.

      I did this becuase i wanted to try and set up a path to boot kubuntu from the boot.ini file on hd0,3 where it had previously been installed.

      I reebooted and got the same problem as before when I installed Kubuntu on the third partition: namely that

      server would not boot - gave blank black screen and stalled.

      xp asked for hal.dll (hardware abstraction layer) to be reinstalled becuase it had been deleted or corrupted. and would not boot.

      I then attempted to reinstall the grub menu on the mbr to at least use kubuntu without reinstalling the whole thing but the dapper drake disk that I have seems to want to install the whole thing over again without a repair option.

      IMPORTANT:
      While doing this I noticed that the setup for partitioning the disk gave new values for the partitions. The new partitions were shown as being: NTFS Partion 1 (10Gb) {Server}, NTFS partiotn 3 (10Gb {XP}, and Ext3 partition 5(10Gb) {Kubuntu}

      This is why changing the boot.ini file had resulted in the inability to boot. But why did the hal.dll file get corrupted?



      Summary:

      When grub is installed on my mbr it somehow makes windows change the boot.ini file hd(allocations).
      This then corrupts the hal.dll file in Windows\system32.
      This makes all windows unable to boot.
      I have checked out several sites but all instructions have failed to fix the problem.
      This has resulted in a repair install for xp and windows (a lengthy process) and the grub file being wiped from mbr thereby not allowing kubuntu or fedora to be used.


      Can u help please!


      Where I am at the moment:
      Xp and serverwork fine becuase I have repair installed both.

      No option to boot Kubuntu or fedora though they are still there on the disks.

      Hesitant to install kubuntu again becuase it have to delete teh whole partiiotn and start over and htis will result in being unable to use windows.

      Thanks.

      Iain

      Comment


        #4
        Re: README: Installation and Boot Guide

        So you're trying to multiboot, with 2 windows versions and kubuntu on one hdd, and fedora on the other hdd. That was totally different from what I originally described in my reply to Mr. Linux's post: we both had windows on one hdd, and and the linux on a separate drive, so you're going to have to use the howtos. Two that were often recommended to me were six's howto in the ubuntuforums.org (about multibooting, using ntloadr as the bootloader), and ed's, at http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux...w2k-HOWTO.html. ed uses grub as the bootloader. Ntloadr, grub, lilo, and Partition Magic's utility, BootMagic, all serve the same function of choosing between operating systems. Pick one method, although I's recommend six's, using ntloadr, because you are multibooting and using k/ubuntu.

        My method is for when the windows and linux are on drives separate from each other. I don't know if I can be of further help to you because I am still a newbie myself, and as I said, I'd struggled with duplicating the howtos myself.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: README: Installation and Boot Guide

          One word of advice for anyone trying to dual boot linux and Windows XP always backup your Master Boot Record (MBR) before starting your installation! You can use something like mbrtool which is DOS based and fits on a floppy or USB drive. Back up that MBR! If you foobar your installation and can't boot to Windows XP just reload the MBR and you will at least have your Windows XP back. Believe me I've learned the hard way and this is a must if you want to dual boot. Even if you get everything to work great and play nice backup that MBR it will save you time and frustration in the long run. Good luck and enjoy Kubuntu it's freakin' sweet!

          Comment


            #6
            Re: README: Installation and Boot Guide

            I kubuntu 6.06 installed in my Pc
            When a try to update, I get this message:

            The APT database could no be opened! This may be caused by incorrect APT configuration os some similar problem. Try running apt-setup and apt-get update in terminal and see if it helps to resolve the problem.

            Could you help me? How can I do to solve this problem?I kubuntu 6.06 installed in my Pc
            When a try to update, I get this message:

            The APT database could no be opened! This may be caused by incorrect APT configuration os some similar problem. Try running apt-setup and apt-get update in terminal and see if it helps to resolve the problem.

            Could you help me? How can I do to solve this problem?I kubuntu 6.06 installed in my Pc
            When a try to update, I get this message:

            The APT database could no be opened! This may be caused by incorrect APT configuration os some similar problem. Try running apt-setup and apt-get update in terminal and see if it helps to resolve the problem.

            Could you help me? How can I do to solve this problem?

            Comment


              #7
              Re: README: Installation and Boot Guide

              Hello,

              Grub will get confused if you have more than Windows installed on the same hard disk, especially on primary partitions.

              You must use the HIDE / UNHIDE option.

              You need to edit your /boot/grub/menu.lst to include these lines for each windows entry:

              # first windows - located on first partition (hd0,0)
              title windows 1
              unhide (hd0,0)
              hide (hd0,1)
              rootnoverify (hd0,0)
              chainloader +1
              makeactive

              # second windows - located on second partition (hd0,1)
              title windows 2
              unhide (hd0,1)
              hide (hd0,0)
              rootnoverify (hd0,1)
              chainloader +1
              makeactive

              I have written a full guide, I'll post it soon.

              Dedoimedo

              Comment

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